help with routine for solids and milk feeds please...

[mummy2millie]

Amelia is being weaned early on advice of her Health Visitor and Pediatrician to try and ease her reflux. I started at 17 weeks and she is now 22 weeks. She is doing well (I think?) She has around 1 tablespoon of solids twice a day - not a huge appetite - never has had! Thing is, she is already trying to drop some milk feeds and i am worried about this as i feel she is too young to reduce her milk intake. She has never been a big milk drinker, though and 5 - 6oz is a full feed for her. She used to take this at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and then a NF at 2am. Well she is losing intrest in all of her milk feeds at the mo, i am lucky if she takes 3 - 4 oz but particularly morning and bedtime bottles. I am sure that the am feed is due to her feeding during the night - not sure what to do here as i'd much rather she dropped the night feed rather then reduce/stop morning feed.  Yeterday she only took 2 0z and wouldn't touch her baby cereal either - just wasn't hungry. Today i waited till nearly 8am and she still only took 3oz! Bedtime bottle is a complete struggle and has been for the past 5 days - she does end up taking it but gets cross and it's clear she isn't hungry for it...she still feeds once during the night and i am worried that this will become twice if she drops this feed - and of course 2 night feeds will mean there is no way she will take any milk/solids the next morning.

Please help - this is making me feel very stressed as i feel sha has been weaned before she 'needed' to be due to her reflux - she has taken to it well, though and enjoys her little bit of solids! But the milk situation is worrying me - maybe i should just give her soilds and water rather than solids and milk at the 3pm feed - then maybe she would want her bedtime bottle - any thoughts?

PS - She doesn't have  DF as both times i t have tried it, it caused NW!

[mokey_cat]

Hi.  Is it possible your LO is teething?  My LO had very similar behaviour when she turned 5 months and would refuse or only drink a few oz from each bottle.  It lasted about 4 weeks then her teeth came through and things improved - although, she still does not drink as much milk as before.  I am luck if DD takes 5 oz in the morning so I try and put as much in her food as possible.  So I mix cereal with formula, make creamy soup, give her yoghurt's, add milk to her purees etc. 

You could try giving teething gel 10 mins or so before her bottle to see if it helps.  If not, I would try to add as much milk to her solids as you can and possibly speak to your HV again.  When DD was not taking milk, she told us that as long as she took a MINIMUM of 600mls it was ok.  If not they would have to give DD a supplement.

We fed at the same times as you 7, 11, 3 then 7 and we dropped a bottle (at 11am) last week.  DD has been getting 3 full meals for a few weeks and the 11am bottle was only 4oz if lucky, then the 3pm was also 4 oz.  Once we dropped the 1 bottle, the overall oz increased.  I think your LO is maybe a bit young to drop bottles just now though 

Laura
X

[mummy2millie]

Thanks - i too think she is too young to drop a feed. This is what i did today - what do you think?

7am - 30z (i make up 6) Really think this is to do with her night feed....
8am - breakfast - baby porridge blended with fruit puree - 2 1/2 tablespoons -  2 oz of milk mixed in
11am 5 0z - normal feed for millie is 5 - 6 oz.
12pm - lunch - Baby rice blended with veg puree - 2 1/2 teablespoons - 2 0z of milk mixed in.
3pm - 4oz
7pm - 6 0z

I have been leaving an hour between milk and solid feeds as she seems to take more of each type of i do this - is that ok? Also, is the amount of solid she is eating enough - i know she has had enough as she turns away and wont open her mouth, or just spits it all back out! I did try introducing a 3rd meal at 5pm but she then lost interest in her bedtime bottle .....

[mokey_cat]

Your routine looks pretty similar to ours actually.  She had 22oz of milk which is about what we manage each day (if you count the milk added to solids) plus if you are still to include the night feed.

Your LO is 5 months so at this age I would say that milk is more important than solids.  We also started solids early due to reflux at 5 months but she was on 1 meal for 1 week, 2 meals for about 6 weeks and then I introduced 3rd meal.  She was also not drinking her bedtime bottle after dinner which is why I held off longer.

Because your LO is still pretty young, 1 suggestion is to move solids to 30 mins after milk feeds, so she will hopefully take more milk at her next bottle.  You say she takes more solids if you wait an hour but I think at this age, milk is still their main source of nutrition.  My DD is a BIG girl and we only gave smallish meals until maybe 7 months when I introduced dinner, increased solids and dropped 1 bottle.  But up until this point, I made sure she got plenty of milk. 

So at your LO's age, DD was doing:

7.30 - 5-7oz
8.00 - porridge with fruit and 1-2 oz milk (maybe 2 tbsp)
11.30 - 4-6oz
12.00 - veg puree (1-2 tbsp)
3.30 - 4-6oz
7.00 - 9oz

We introduced dinner at 4ish after 8 weeks, but made sure this did not interfere with bedtime bottle.

Now DD is 7.5 months and her routine is
7.30 - 5oz
9.00 - Porridge/weetabix with 3oz milk (4/5tbsp)
11.45 - lunch: pasta/meat/veg (4/5tbsp)
2.30 - 7-8oz
4.30 - dinner: pasta/meat/veg (4/5tbsp) + yoghurt or fruit
7.15 - 8-9oz

I would also go with her as a judge of amounts and it sounds like you are doing well at that.  As long as she still takes enough milk anyway.  If she starts eating too much solids and not drinking milk, I would maybe say to reduce amounts of solids a bit.  I would hold off with the 3rd meal until she is more ready.  I was really eager to get her on solids and then onto 3 meals, but I have kind of realised that she will go at her own pace a lot easier whcih makes it less stressful for me 

Hope that helps 

Laura
X

[mummy2millie]

That really does help, thankyou. You have confirmed alot of what i was think ing which is reassuring - finding weaning a little daunting at times. I will hold of on the 3rd meal for a while longer as I know she wouldn't take her bedtime bottle otherwise. Can i ask, how did you know your LO was READY for a 3rd meal? Thing is Amelia has never been a big milk drinker - 5 - 6 oz is a full feed to her, even at 5 months!

[mokey_cat]

I kind of noticed she would take more solids at lunch if I offered them and then I just tried a few small spoons of veges one night.  She still took her full bedtime bottle so I though she was ready.  If she had taken a lot less milk for her last bottle I maybe would have held off longer. 

Honestly, I would not rush it because she is getting plenty of solids just now and nutritionally she will be getting plenty from milk.  Im in the UK and kind of feel that the health visitors rush solids a bit.  I was told to have her on only 2 bottles by 8 months!!  There is no way she would take 17-21oz (the minimum they say) in only 2 bottles!!  When I decided to slow down a bit and follow DD more, I found it a lot easier.  As long as your LO gains weight well and gets enough milk, just go at your own pace.  It sounds like you are doing a fab job 

Laura
X